19 September 2014

Those of you who have been with me for years (firstly, thank you!) will know that my love for Dior's old, early 2011 formula of their Diorskin Forever Foundation - tagged their Extremewear Flawless Make Up, was an HG-status foundation love that ended abruptly at their reformulation, which I can only describe as a massive mistake. So my approach to this newly launched Diorskin Star Foundation was excited but cautious.

When the raves started pouring in from the bloggers over in the US, I found myself at a Dior counter here in Tokyo and made a relatively uneducated foundation purchase - this is something I haven't done since an impulsive yet extremely successful purchase of the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua back in June 2012. So before I go on, I have to put a massive caveat on these first impressions - I've only tried this in the insane humidity of Japan, where liquids that stay on my face and don't get oily all day in the UK, slide off my face in a matter of hours.

So how have I got on in this climate?

Packaging

There was no question about whether I'd love the functionality of this bottle - it's practically the same as the Diorskin Forever. The pump is still the best one I've tried - it dispenses a decent amount, but not too much, and it's intricate enough that you can get even a quarter of a pump. If I were to pick at straws, I'd say I prefer the frosted glass of the Diorskin Forever, and its navy and multidimensional lid.

Formula

In terms of texture, I find this extremely similar to the old Forever - it's fluid yet creamy, which allows for an extremely luxurious applying experience. It's super easy to blend, and is soft enough to almost caress your skin while you apply it. No tackiness, no dragging, no dryness - just pure, silky luxury!

The coverage is just superb. I probably use less concealer than I do with my MAC Studio Fix Fluid, but this foundation is as weightless as, if not more than, Chanel's Vitalumiere Aqua. I'm confident most people will say this is on the lower end of a high coverage foundation.

The finish is what everyone talks about, and it truly is a hybrid and so very difficult to describe. I'd say it's the most skin-like finish I've seen, in that it just looks like what true, normal skin looks like - not the semi-matte Hollywood make-up skin. Just bare, everyday skin. It is quite literally "no make up make up". This does not catch the light and disperse it over a large area - you will get a healthy, normal amount of shine focused on small areas like the tip of your nose and the highest points on your cheek and forehead, but it'll be beautiful and soft elsewhere.

So is this finish what I expected? Absolutely not. But as I said earlier, in London, I might get a totally different result. I was expecting that soft glow. However, perhaps that definition of "studio" make up is dated - the runways these days are often full of natural, skin-like finishes.

Now most foundations that are on the non-matte side of the spectrum don't tend to last very long. But the lasting power is where I am perhaps the most flabbergasted by this foundation - it lasts yonks AND it looks beautiful in the process. It defies what we have come to expect from natural finish foundations. And yes, this is even in the heat and humidity in Tokyo. It basically stays and doesn't break apart with sweat and it stops getting dewier before you become a chip pan. It just stays that beautiful midway between dewy and semi-matte.

In conclusion..

Am I in love? I am and am not - I'm so used to being semi-matte, that it's difficult for me to instantly fall in love with something different. BUT, I'm also in love with the foundation because of how well-designed this foundation is. It's just so.. "now". The combination of a high coverage and the unique finish makes it THE perfect no-make up make up, because you have that flawless coverage but natural glow, AND it lasts ages which makes it perfect for the busy lifestyles that many people lead. It is an incredibly, incredibly modern foundation. It is such a beautiful creation on Dior's part - it is a very very advanced formula that pushes our existing expectations about foundations.

Anyway - enough geeky gushing. If you live in humid, hot places, you can take this review at face value. But if you live elsewhere, please keep an eye out on here and on my Twitter for other instalments :)

1 September 2014

My Twitter and Instagram has lately been full of posts about my time in Japan - I am absolutely loving being back. But with my MacBook on its last legs, I wasn't able to bring her back with me which means no iMovie, and this monthly favourites is going to be blog-based! (and no usual life update this month I'm afraid.. we'd be here til New Years!)

Also, I haven't brought too many things back with me, and for that reason I was quite limited as to what I could pick for my favourites this month (and definitely didn't bother bringing back any fails)! So I decided to throw in some things that I've bought since being back, otherwise it would have been a very short and boring favourites.. and also because I actually believe I'm on to quite a few winners!

The UK Favourites

﻿

Lancôme Hypnose Doll Eyes Waterproof Mascara

My one and only duty-free purchase - I bloody well deserved it after sticking it out for a few weeks to save a few quid! This mascara is my absolute favourite - it holds curls like a crazy person, and adds volume without clumping. In fact, it fans out your lashes. A full review here!

YSL 5 Color Ready To Wear Palette in 02 Fauve

I can't praise this palette enough - the colours are just perfect for a mid-toned brown lover. The satin finish, the shades and the super blendable formula means you get a perfect, soft, gradient look no matter what combination of shades you choose. I've got a full review of this here.

YSL Fusion Ink Foundation in BD55

My first impressions that I posted here haven't changed - it's an AMAZING foundation. With a lightweight, natural matte finish with a medium to full coverage that can be built up without looking cakey, it's pretty close to perfect! Oh, AND it lasts ages. My only niggle is its packaging.. even in the full price - a spatula?! WHY?! Am I the only person who's bothered by this? I'm hoping to compare it to Dior Star Foundation before deciding which one to treat myself to!

LUSH Aromaco Deodorant

This is, without question, the BEST deodorant I have ever used. I can only imagine that the maker just said, "Screw it, just throw in a sh*t ton of spices!" - it smells divine! I dampen it before I apply it, and it lasts 24 hours - yes, I actually have to wash it off the next morning in the shower before I apply it again! It also strangely acts as an antiperspirant too. My Weleda Citrus Deodorant was failing me a bit since the summer hit but this? This is one tough deo.

The Japan Favourites

KOSE ESPRIQUE Powder Foundation in OC-410

This was a bit of a rushed purchase after I noticed that my Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua was sliiiiding off my face in the heat and humidity here (and also I've been eyeing this foundation up for years anyway). In Japan, it's quite common that you have to buy the case and the refill for products separately (even for eyeliners!), so I was lucky that they were releasing this limited edition case for free if you bought the refill! Unlike in the UK, powder foundations are quite popular in Japan. And you can totally tell why if you use this foundation - it blurs pores, it has a medium to full coverage, it's buildable and it settles into a beautiful natural matte finish which lasts all day. I couldn't actually believe that I wasn't a chip pan at 5pm!

KOSE ESPRIQUE Foundation Brush (Limited Edition Ribbon Design)

After falling so hard for the foundation, I decided to try it with their brush as well. I chose this ribbon design out of the two limited edition designs they currently have out (the other is black with hearts). It's a lot like my well-loved Sigma F84 except the barrel isn't pinched. This brush allows me to buff in the foundation a little bit more, and use lighter layers to build up a more natural coverage. It's so so soft.. I'm so in love.

Rimmel Exaggerate Creamy Eyeliner Waterproof in 02 Brown

After researching about beauty trends in Japan (more on that later), I noticed a distinct lack of bold black liner. And, I've seen many people in the UK rave about brown liners that define but isn't too stark. However, I've never been able to find a shade that I thought wasn't too warm or too sparkly. This pencil has a bit of pink tones in it, that makes any line it draws more like a shadow than a line. Using this really defines my eyes, but it looks like I'm not wearing eyeliner at all! I think it'd be perfect for work. It's also super creamy and very long lasting. I'm not sure if they have the waterproof version in the UK, but I'm tempted to pick up the black one too!

FASIO Perfect Eyebrow in BR300

I was SO intrigued when I read about liquid brow pens.. doesn't it sound so scary?! In fact, they're relatively translucent inks that add more of a shadow than a line (again). I run this along the outsides of my brows to straighten the lines, and magically, when you step back it's like your brows are perfect anyway. The other end actually contains a powder on a sponge applicator which I like to run with and against my hairs, so I can lighten my black hairs a little. It creates such a lovely, natural but defined brow!

I put this under the generic title above, because I've just been on a bit of a research mission since I got here about the trends in make-up and skincare in Japan. The magazines you see above are VoCe and MAQUIA, two of the beauty magazines for younger women here in Japan. They are crammed full of tutorials, launches and looks that it truly puts many British magazines to shame. I can't wait to pick up a few more!

At this point I was noticing a trend in teaching how to "do" skincare - and it made me wonder if HOW you apply your face wash or serum makes a difference. Application is so key in make-up, is it the same in skincare? So instead of buying more magazines, I bought this book - Correct Skincare Encyclopedia by Nobuko Yoshiki (a dermatologist), Miyoji Okabe (a former product developer) and Makiko Oda (a nutritionist), about correct skincare to get more in depth knowledge, and it's just fantastic. It's been running me through the anatomy of the skin, correct ways to use skincare products (who knew the temperature of the water and the time you spend on each stage could be so specific?!), and foods and recipes that are good to target specific concerns. I do feel like there's a culture of people reading books when they are curious about something in Japan, instead of Google-ing for a short brief - I think it's great.

Of course by the end of all this, I'm wanting to try out some of my newly acquired theoretical knowledge, so I picked up two popular products - the Shiseido Perfect Whip Foam Face Wash and the incredibly famous Hada Labo Lotion (or toner, as we'd call it). The former was because face wash here is all about the foam, and cleansing with the foam - I find this one slightly drying when I wash it off, BUT I notice that my skin is much, much brighter after each wash. We'll see how it goes! The Hada Labo though.. phwooar. It's slightly viscous, and the key is to work it into the skin rather than just wipe your skin with it. I feel like it's made a huge difference to how plump my skin feels! Again, we'll see how it goes.

Either way - my little project has definitely been one of my favourite things to do this month.

So overall..

A pretty amazing month :)

Hope you all had a fantastic August, and are off to a great start to September!

30 August 2014

For all the brown eyeshadow lovers out there - you must, must read this. I've been sent one of YSL's new palettes, the 5-Colour Ready To Wear Palettes, in the shade 02 Fauve and I come bearing good news! If you're interested in other shades, you can see them onYSL's website.

Packaging

The solid gold bar is lovely to look at, but boy does it attract finger prints. But it's slim, shuts perfectly and comes with a mahoosive mirror, and great quality applicators - an eyeliner brush, a thin sponge and a thick sponge. I noticed that the packaging wasn't as extravagant as many of their other products which often put me off paying their high price tag as I feel like I'm paying more for the packaging than I am for the product - but in this case, I was happily proven wrong.

Formula

Having revered the Chanel eyeshadow formulas since forever, I wasn't sure whether what the other designer brands offered really compared. Let's just say YSL does.

Initially the formula looks slightly shimmery, but in reality they're all more of a satin finish. They're quite tightly packed so you're going to need something rough, like the applicators they provide. These are roughed up sponges, so do amazingly to pick up colour. I'm usually one for using the MAC 224 for all over eyeshadow, and that works really well - but something like the MAC 239 doesn't pick up and blend out colour quite so well.

The blendability is bloody fabulous, and perhaps the most outstanding part of this palette. The colours play a role, but on the whole, the blendability of the shades is what lets you create the softest, glowy brown looks with the palette.

The staying power is also great, with it lasting much longer for me than MAC and Urban Decay, and lasting me a good 8 hours, but not looking as fresh as the ranks of Chanel and NARS - but still definitely there, just a bit faded.

Colours

My initial thoughts were that the colours in this shade were a bit dark for my every day looks, but this actually pushed me to experiment with mid-toned browns. If these are up your street, you probably can't choose a better palette.

You can tell these shades were chosen carefully, because despite the base shade being warm, the rest of the shades balance this out by being cooler. This gives it a bit of a lovely taupe hue. I also love that while the shades are different shades of darkness, that the intervals are quite small, which means any look can be super blended, gradient, and soft :)

YSL actually provide a little booklet with three looks based around using the base colour (the lightest brown) and the highlight (the cream shade) as the bare minimum. The three looks add 1, 2 and then 3 colours on top of this. Here I've shown you two - one which is the one with one added colour, and another which I whip up when I just CBA.

The #1 Day OR Night Look

This is my preferred look with this palette, and it involves just darkening the outer corner with the third darkest shade. The thick liner also adds to the drama of the look which makes it great for the nighttime. It gives a played-down smokey eye look which is perfect for either day or night time. To be perfectly honest, this is my first choice for my wedding day so far!

The "I CBA" Day Look

This is a common option for one of those "popping out" days. In addition to the base and highlight colours, I just simply lined my eyes with the darkest shade using the eyeliner brush included. It saves the faff of gel/liquid eyeliners, and creates lashes that look super full at the base! Because the eye colour is still light, your lashes still stand out great in front of your lid :)

Overall..

I'm sure everyone has their share of shimmery dark browns, but this palette offers the satin version that can be so much more classic and everyday-friendly. I don't use these words lightly, but if you love soft, easy, neutral looks - this palette is a must have.

25 August 2014

Us beauty bloggers are most often times quite fickle - we'll confess our love for a product, but that love is often matched by another love to try new and different products. But I think if you ask anyone of them, they'll still have that handful of products that they come back to all the time. I definitely do anyway! After 2 summers in a row of busting out these three bases, it seemed wrong not to let you guys in on it.

The Matte One

This of course is my trusty Make Up Forever Mat Velvet+ in 35 which really isn't a summer pick exclusively - I use this all year round. But I think that's just a testament to its consistent performance. It's comfortable to wear, it gives a nice medium to high coverage, it's creamy and easy to apply, and boy does it last.

Best uses: long days out, events requiring more flawless looks, self-loathing days resulting from terrible skin.

The Natural One

Every year, I can't wait to use this foundation - it's seriously getting to the point where I should just buy a lighter shade. The Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B40 is my natural go-to foundation, that is casual but polished. It's insanely easy to use and wear, it's got a buildable coverage which I usually wear at around a medium level and it leaves you with a skin-like finish.

Best uses: shorter outings including "lady of luxury" lunches and dinner dates.

The﻿ Glowy One

I still don't understand why the Bobbi Brown Tinted Moisturiser (which I have in Light to Medium) isn't more popular - to me, it is beauty in a tube. The crazy blendable formula, light coverage (heavier than your average tinted moisturiser) and its magical abilities to blur out pores and give you a glowy, but not shiny (you can see how softly it catches the light in the swatch above), finish seems to go relatively unnoticed in the beauty world!Best uses: "CBA but have to" days and "my skin is definitely always this amazing" days.

Needless to say, all 3 made the cut to come back with me to Japan this summer! :)

23 August 2014

It's old news - I know. But after being gone for years, the eyeshadow bug has come back and bit me on the behind, and I'm 96% sure this is what brought it on! Since getting this palette, I've been on a bit of an eyeshadow whirlwind.

In case you've never seen this before, it's TooFaced's Chocolate Bar Palette, which came out earlier this year. I've been trying this for a good few weeks now, and I'm ready to share my thoughts!

Packaging

I love it. I'm usually not one for gimmicky packaging, so it's not the actual chocolate pattern that draws me so much to it. It's firstly the tin feeling, which is super sturdy and nice. I also like that it's a decent width that's sufficiently filled up with colour (i.e. not huge gaps between the shadows) and the height is also good.

Actually, for those of you with a keen eye for detail might have noticed that as time went by, the palettes being reviewed became skinnier - and no need to call the doctor, it wasn't your imagination. Be sure to look out for the pink sticker on the box as shown above to make the most of this new design. I have to commend TooFaced for doing that, because it's not often a brand reacts at all, never mind so quickly, to their customers' opinions. Trust me - the old ones were CLUNKY.

All of these things come together to give you a palette that just feels good in your hands. It's just so easy to hold and use, and the tactile experience is great.

My only negative would be the magnetic lid - I love magnetic lids, I think they're great and adds again to the nice feel overall but this one is a tad weak. This is why I've kept the box so I can use it travel with it! (and because it's a really pretty box..)

Colours

This is the part where I was the most sceptical - would I really like a palette that isn't as organised as other ones I've seen? For me, the colours are a little bit scattered and not grouped logically, and there's that crazy baby pink and purple hanging out that just look a little bit lost.

But look closer, and you'll notice that a lot of these colours are as odd and out of place as the pink and purple. Basically, most of the shades have some twist to the traditional shades you'd see in normal neutral palettes, and this is what makes this palette generally quite unique. Whether it's the very very warm, almost orange matte brown, or the almost olive based dark brown above it - these aren't your standard champagne, light matte brown, bronze etc., shades.

Yes, there are a few like that - the shimmery peach, gold and the two on either side of the gold are quite standard. But everything else seems to have a quirk, or some difference in tone that make many of these undupeable in my collection. To me, there's SO MANY differences between this and the Urban Decay Naked Palette, but that'll take a whole another post.. one thing that really annoys me is someone calling every neutral palette that has ever come out since 2010 a Naked Palette 'dupe'. I mean, come on.

Anyway, for this reason, I find this palette to be much more advanced than the Naked Palette. It has shades that really deserve some creativity on the part of the user, unlike the Naked Palette which really address the basic shades that most people should have if they like doing neutral looks. This gives the scope for choosing the tone of neutral colours, and actually offers a choice - four matte browns, and four medium browny tones - there's so much choice. It also gives you a bit more flexibility to adjust looks you may usually go for to make them more warm or cool depending on your skintone, mood, eye colour etc.,

Ultimately, this palette is why my eyeshadow bug came back - because it reminded me how fun it can be to just experiment a bit and not stick to a mold. Sometimes it's hard to be creative when there's so many tutorials and how-to's out there that tell you exactly what to do (they're great but obviously can cause some complacency on the viewer's part), and when it isn't really encouraged to try different looks - many magazines just seem to either do very basic eyeshadow looks or something that's just not acceptable for everyday wear.

I also want to give TooFaced another set of kudos for doubling the size of the two highlight shades - they're always the ones that go first for me in palettes, so super hugs for that one, TF.

So overall, I adore the colour selection in this palette. I think it's so refreshing to see something that isn't trying to be your necessity, but something fun that you can enjoy and really play around with.

Formula

To me, these rank quite similar to MAC and Urban Decay. They have great pigmentation, easy to blend and apply evenly and beautifully. I do think they're a touch harder than MAC or Urban Decay, and so require a bit more motion and friction from the brush to break the colour apart and load your brush.

But they're just not up there with the NARS and Chanels - they'll wear after a full day of use (I look at around 6-8hrs depending on which shades), and will start looking tired and muddled together towards the end. BUT this is quite normal for me generally - I have very unforgiving eyelids so if MAC and Urban Decay last well on you, I imagine these will too. Overall, great formulas and nothing to complain about from me.

Some last thoughts..

I love this palette - I'm sure you can tell. But I have to be honest and say that I had decided not to buy it, and a month or so later, was sent it and tried it. I didn't quite "get" it until I used it myself. Knowing what I know now, would I shell out £45? I definitely would. The fun I have with it would've been worth it because it's a collection of shades that are SO useable but just aren't as mainstream. It's like you don't have to branch out to neon greens and electric pinks to jazz up your looks - these different tones can make a world of a difference.

19 August 2014

In the last Wedding Preparations, I spoke a bit about my experience with TechnoShape - i.e. the Matrix meets wrestling belt weight loss programme. It's 12 sessions of 40 minutes of walking over 4 weeks with the belt, which targets blood flow around your stomach and therefore helps to lose some of the fat around that area. When you sign on, there will be a personal trainer to help you get familiar with the machine, and they will also talk you through some of the food and drink suggestions that would help you progress further. The best results are obviously when you lose the alcohol and continue other exercise regimes!

I went on 6 sessions myself and saw decent progress despite not being able to cut significantly on alcohol or particularly watch my food. For example, I lost 2cm off my waist, 2cm off the area 4cm below my belly button and 1cm off the area 4cm above my belly button. I was surprised because it was so easy - I walked at a pace slower than my usual walking pace, and read a book or watched beauty videos for 40min! I went to NKD Ambitions in London to do my sessions, and their record for weight loss around the waist is.. 24cm!

So here's the great bit - TechnoShape are giving away 6 free sessions in the UK for one of Let's Make Yu Up's readers! I'm thrilled to be hosting this, and all you have to do is enter via the Rafflecopter below..

12 August 2014

Yesterday's Boot's trip was quite a successful one, culminating in me getting my hands on the free 7 day sample of the brand new YSL Fusion Ink Foundation that are currently being given out at counters nationwide. While the official release date is not until next week (although I believe Debenham's have won the exclusive release until then), I gave my sample a go today and have been so mesmerised that I had to log my first impressions..

First thing I noticed was how thin the formula was. If anything, it was more along the lines of the oil-based foundations from Giorgio Armani and L'Oreal. I was apprehensive, never having been attracted to the notion of such a formula.

I tried two ways of applying - buffing it in with the Real Techniques Buffing Brush, and painting/blending with the Sigma F84. To be honest, the former was probably more suitable given the formula's light consistency - there was no need for the stiffness of the latter. I also found that I used more of this foundation than I usually do of other foundations, perhaps because it's so light.

My first impression is that this has a light to medium coverage which is buildable to a medium coverage. It covers light, non-spot/all-over redness in the first layer and evens out my skintone generally. On more problem areas, I tried the stippling method which worked really well to dilute other all-over redness and some acne scarring. Ultimately, I decided to go for the concealer to maintain the light finish of the foundation.

Which, coincidentally, is my favourite part about this foundation. You've got a natural matte finish that you'd really expect more from foundations with heavier consistencies, but with a "lit from within" glow as if you'd highlighted Kim K style. It catches the light softly over larger spaces, which means it doesn't have that wet touch look. It simply glows where it should - the inner cheeks, forehead, chin etc., I was surprised because the current moisturiser I'm using is quite dewy, but this seemed to mattify that too.

Upon close inspection, I find that it does well to glide over minor dryness, but that it does tend to cling to flakes that have already come off the skin (luuuurvely).

And the shade.. the shade! It's perfect! I've got BD55 which is from the yellow-toned line (Beige Dore). It fits perfectly with my current NC35-ish shade. I'd go so far as to say it's probably the best matched foundation I've tried in a very very long time.

To me, this feels like the equivalent of the YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat foundation for oilier skintypes. The one summer when I had crazy dry skin, that foundation gave me a similar finish to this but I haven't been able to go back since because I've just consistently been combination skinned since then. With this one, I actively didn't want to powder it because I felt like that might give my skin too dry of a touch.

Overall, I'm feeling like we're onto a winner here, and looking forward to the next 6 days! (That being said my YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat foundation lasted me a month or so..) Did I mention in Boots, it comes with a voucher for £10 worth of points if you buy the foundation between the 20th of August and the 16th of September? WIN.
For now, you can get a bottle at Debenhams!

So here's an experiment - I've decided to give a video version of the Review Series a go!

If you've never read one of my Review Series, they're posts with mini reviews of products from the same category. I number them so that it's easy for you to find all the mini reviews if you're, for example, shopping around for an exfoliator. You can find all of themhere.

I'm not sure how this will go down but I thought it was worth a try - let me know what you think! Without further delay, here are my thoughts on 4 exfoliators I've been trying. You can find the link to each product on the information bar on YouTube.

10 August 2014

It's funny how time is so contextual, and I can't quite get my head around the fact that Ben and I have now been engaged for 5 months! It doesn't seem so long ago that friends and I fist-pumped when a relationship lasted longer than a month.. (just me then).

The Venue..
Things seemed to slow down a bit after my first update - we'd missed an opportunity to go visit venues in Warwickshire due to other commitments, and then my exams happened which meant nothing really happened, quite literally, until mid June.

But then it all seemed to go lightening speed when we visited a few venues around Bath (including an old school cinema with a civil wedding licence, and an orangery with an ancient jukebox!), and narrowed our choices to two. After lots of deliberating, confirmations and quotes, we officially secured a date at our venue of choice, and will be getting married in September 2015! The 13 month countdown so begins.

The venue is a small country hotel with a very rustic feel to it. The decor is very homely, cozy and down-to-earth, and has several cute touches like a games room and a garden where the head chef grows his veg and smokes his fish!

The Fitness..
A big change this past month has been me going to a gym near Oxford Street called NKD Ambitions to take on a bit of Technoshape. It's a belt that you wear while you walk for 40 minutes, and it connects to a machine which inflates and deflates it (think Matrix meets wrestling belt). This increases the blood circulation around your waist and concentrates fat loss in the area. Now I know everyone says it's a myth that you can focus fat loss, and to be fair, Technoshape has to be combined with healthy eating and other moderate exercises.

However, over my 6 sessions (a full course is 12 sessions) I lost 2cm off my waist, 1cm at 4cm above my belly button, 2cm at 4cm below my belly button. Truth be told, I wasn't being militant about what I ate/drank, so I was so impressed! I mean, the record loss at NKD Ambitions with a Technoshape is 24cm lost!

Other than that, I've finally got myself a pair of Nike Free Runs in the ASOS sale that I've been eyeing for months. When a £85 pair of shoes is up for £57.. it'd be rude not to, right?!

Ben Learns Japanese!
He's always been a smart guy, but the pace at which he's learning to read, write and speak since he started lessons at International House is absolute madness. It's only been 5 lessons but we can now have very basic conversations about our days, what we did, what we ate (typical couple, needing to know everything), what our plans are etc., I'm so proud of him and I think it's so sweet that he's put in this effort so he can speak to my extended family in the future. If we ever have kids, I really hope they get his linguistic abilities cuz mine, is, shite.

The Other Stuff..
Some things have started to take shape, although not set in stone - we've found a photographer we've been speaking to, I've found a ring I like, and Ben might be getting his made by a guy we met at Greenwich Market last weekend. Unfortunately for the groomsmen and bridesmaids, we still haven't decided on a colour scheme! My plan is also to go back to Japan next week, take in all the crafty cuteness and decide on what to do for invitations. Ben is also responsible for sorting out music, and has been checking out a few bands online.

Not that there was much doubt even before we got engaged, but the thought of life after marriage has really started to play a big role in our lives. We have so many exciting ideas for what we want to do, and it's so exciting share a life with someone else.

9 August 2014

The last of the SoS! :( But let's just say this was the category I was least confident about - I don't generally use eye de-puffers, and most of the time it's more the feeling of heavy, tired eyes and dark circles that I hate and expect these kinds of products to revive! Also, unsurprisingly, eye products don't come cheap so it was a bit difficult to find many things under the lower categories, but hopefully this will give you a bit of an idea of what's out there in the market - and what to avoid!

Under £5: Simple Kind to Eyes Soothing Eye Balm£3.99 from Boots
Truth be told, I am in general a product snob - I like to spend on beauty products. And it definitely made me nervous to put something which was under £5 on such a sensitive area like my eye and to be honest this feeling never went away.

My subconscious aside though, I felt like this product was a nice, refreshing gel to lightly hydrate and cool under your eyes but only on a very temporary level. It didn't make a huge difference to how my undereyes looked so I'd recommend it more for people who just want a budget eye cream more than anything!

Under £10: Boots Botanics Refreshing Eye Roll-On All Bright£8.99 from Boots
I love the packaging of this, with the roller ball at the end of a tube - super practical! This is one of those products that truly reflects its price point, in the sense that it's a good product for what you pay.

When you apply it, the metal ball is really cooling and lightly massages your undereye which is a great addition to the experience - this also then brightens up your eye just a bit. The liquid is like a gel and as you rub it in to your undereye area, it really cools things down and your eye does feel more awake. This also lightly moisturises which is nice.

I'd recommend this if you also want a moisturising effect in addition to a waker-upper! To me, the cooling and brightening wasn't the strongest, but it's also the most multi-tasking one because it also moisturises.

Under £20: First Aid Beauty Detox Eye Roller£18.50 from Feel Unique
This comes in a glass bottle with a metal roller ball and again, it's cooling and lightly massages your undereye. But compared to the Boots Botanics one, the formula blows it away.

Firstly, it's a watery liquid so it's not a moisturiser per se. You also only need a little bit, and one or two rolls is more than enough. As soon as you apply it, even before you start rubbing it in, you feel this tingling and coolness that just revives your eye almost instantly. My eyes looked brighter and felt awake, and I was amazed! The product uses antioxidants and are free of parabens and a few other nasties.

The Verdict: Splurge!

The eye area is so delicate that I really care about what I put under there, which is why First Aid Beauty's ingredients were more appealing to me. The effects were too! If you're looking for something that really delivers, go for the FAB. If you're looking for something that's good but also moisturises, the Boots Botanics will be your best bet :)

This range has always caught my eye - is it the colour? Or maybe it's the promise of hydration, which is something I always want in my skincare routine. But I've had the chance to try these four products from the Make A Difference range, and was intrigued by my findings!

Make A Difference Rejuvenating Serum - £35 for 30ml/£47 for 50ml
I bought this in a blog sale so I didn't even use the whole bottle - yet I fell in love. It's an amazing light serum that sinks in beautifully and leaves your skin hydrated, moisturised and soft. I found that it was so hydrating that my skin didn't produce any excess oils throughout the day. Near the end of the bottle, I was impressed that you can also twist off the lid to get the last bits. At the risk of sounding very nerdy, I'd rank it as my third favourite serum - it didn't prevent hormonal spots as well as the Dr. Jart Water Up Serum or the IndeedLabs Hydraluron, and it's also quite a bit more expensive. However, it's a great product overall and you can't question the hydrating properties and its product design!

Make A Difference Plus+ Rejuvenating Treatment Lotion - £20
This is another favourite from the range, as you guys know my love for amazing toners. The treatment lotions from Origins are more like the toners you find in East Asian cosmetics, as you apply them more than 'wipe' with them. This Make A Difference one really softens your skin and adds another level of hydration to your skin. It also removes anything left over from your cleanser, and prepares your skin to make the most of what follows! Since using this I find that serums sink in much faster, and my skin feels much more hydrated.

Make A Difference Plus+ Rejuvenating Moisturiser - £34.50
The Moisturiser was an okay product for me. It's quite a wet textured gel/cream that moisturises more than hydrates. While it does hydrate well, the dewy finish that it left my skin with wasn't great for my combination skin, that only has a few patches of dry skin. I'd recommend this more for people with dry and dehydrated skin - which is who the Origins website recommends it for anyway! I bought this in a blog sale so I had bought this thinking, why not! But it's good to know that the recommendations on the Origins website is accurate!

Make A Difference Plus+ Rejuvenating Treatment - £34.50
*Repeat the last sentence from the Moisturiser here*. The website recommends this for dehydrated yet oily skin, so for me, it was a little bit dry on the surface. The texture is interesting - it's almost like a silicone-based primer? I imagine for oilier skins, this regulates the oil quite well but I couldn't personally see the hydrating properties which was slightly worrying! I thought maybe oilier skins don't need as much hydrating, but I would've thought hydrating would've controlled the oils as it does on me.. I'm not sure?! Either way, I don't have the right skin type to be a great judge for this one!

Overall, I think this range is great - the products seem to really nail down the hydrating aspect, and I love how they have different moisturisers tailored to different skintypes. Judging from the website description though, the best moisturiser for me would be.. the night cream? They also have a moisturiser for very dry skin but not for normal/combination skin.. shame! The only other product I haven't tried is the Cleansing Milk.. as a gel face wash person myself, I'm not so sure this is something I'm keen to try, but it's there if that sounds up your street :)

8 August 2014

A whole week and a day of delay - I can only apologise (although let's face it, I've done worse). My internet has suddenly taken a turn for the worse, and I was told a full HD video will take 4 days to upload.. not a chance. So unfortunately, here's a non-HD version but hopefully you get the idea! Before we move on to the video, here is a not-so-mini update of what happened in July..

Life..
Life tied itself together in July after 2 difficult years, and it's very exciting to be finally moving on from a very difficult stage in my life! July has therefore been quite relaxed - lots of 'popping out' for a walk or a spot of shopping, joining my amazing friend Ellie in her lunch hour in London Bridge, and after-work drinks - al fresco, of course.

Next week I'll be going home to see my parents and hang out in Japan until late September. It's quite a long time to be away, especially from Ben, but it's probably also the last time in a while where I'll get to spend so long with them as I start a job in October. Expect a lot of Japan make-up hauls coming up ;)

Holidays!
In early July, my friends and I went to Cumbria for a spot of glamping on Drybeck Farm. It was GREAT. We hired a car and drove up on a Thursday. The 6 of us stayed in a yurt, and went swimming in the freezing river, sipped bubbly in the hot tub, took a 5 hour bike ride, I built fire like a true pyro, and we all awww-ed over the piglets and fowl on the farm. I've been a bit of a fail and haven't yet made my vlog nor contents of everyone's make up bags but they're coming, I promise!

Films, Books etc.,
This month's cinema visits were for the Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and the Guardians of the Galaxy. Both were very very good, and I highly recommend either. Although those who prefer to look at Bradley Cooper than to listen to him may be disappointed.. he's a raccoon.

We also visited the Bond in Motion exhibition at the London Film Museum in Covent Garden. As car lovers and 007 lovers, there was lots of ooo-ing and ahh-ing from both Ben and I, and it's triggered a month of making our way through Ben's 007 DVD collection again.. yes, he's got all of them. Twice.

As for books, I finished the latest instalment of Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy and absolutely loved it. I thought I'd hate it, being an avid fan of the last two but it triggered so many emotions in me, more so than the others, and I truly enjoyed it. After catching a bit of a romance bug, I finished The Proposal by Lily Zante, and have skipped over to and started the third of the series, Heart Sync.

Wedding..
A new Wedding Preparations post coming up in the next week, but as a sneak peek? The venue and date is set!

Beauty..
This past month had A LOT of concealers in it, which I mention in the video - the AmazingCosmetics AmazingConcealer and the Dior Diorskin Nude Hydrating Concealer have featured a lot. I also experimented a lot with eyeshadows, and have developed a soft spot for the TooFaced Chocolate Bar Palette and the YSL 5 Colour Palette in Fauve, as well as a craving for the Urban Decay NAKED Basics Palette (yes I am a few years late on the bandwagon, but I've been loving matte looks!).

6 August 2014

It would take some serious cojones to name something "AmazingConcealer" if it really wasn't amazing, as I imagine (sick) people like myself would quite enjoy the irony. Which is why I was both excited and relieved when I discovered that the AmazingConcealer from AmazingCosmetics was indeed.. amazing.

Formula
It's a very popular product in the US so really, my hopes were high. The thing that I believe most concealers fail on, is the balance of coverage and skin-like finish. A lot of the times, giving more coverage means getting more of a powdered finish. I absolutely despise that powdered look - I could not stand the MAC Prolongwear concealer for this exact reason.

But the AmazingConcealer truly dries into a second-skin finish, and is super emollient that it just blends onto your skin. Once applied, I didn't notice it to settle at all, and it'll last really well throughout the day. When it wears, it does so discretely without showing any kind of breakage in its formula.

The other thing that I loved about this that most concealers can't do, is that you can use it for both under eyes and around the face for blemishes and redness. Most concealers I've tried are either too dry for under the eyes, or too brightening or dewy for the skin. That being said, keep in mind your concealer's undertone. I think mine is a tad better for making redness disappear, just because mine has a yellow undertone that corrects and covers the red.

Coverage
Although I have to admit - the coverage is enough to get rid of 85% of my dark circles, which is amazing considering you can't expect to get rid of 100% of something without some sort of correction.

Speaking of coverage, this isn't as full coverage as it's made out to be - it's a layering product. You'll find that if you don't need that much coverage, one layer will do. But the great thing is that layering it doesn't seem to affect how it looks. I can easily build to a full coverage in about 2-3 layers and it'll still look like skin. It is a truly versatile product in this way.

Packaging
I do have 1 niggle - the packaging. It comes in a tube which I find quite difficult to control. I squeeze some out, but try not to squeeze too much so I end up spending quite a lot of time going back and squeezing some more. My preferred option would be a doe-foot applicator, although I imagine some people would be concerned about the sanitary aspect of that.

Price
This product definitely comes with a high-end price tag, where the smaller 6ml tube retails for £19.50 and the full 15ml goes for £29.50. To put it into context, my Dior Diorskin Hydrating Concealer was £22 for 10ml. However, I think the fact that it's dual purpose does justify it quite a bit, as well as the formula - it is pretty much flawless!

Shades
While the States have the full range of 25 shades, the UK currently only sells 10. At around NC35, my shade is Tan Golden. Here's a chart I saw that shows the undertones for each shade - sorry about the quality (please note that some of these are not in the UK yet):

Overall, a truly fantastic - or should I say, amazing product that delivers on its claims!

The BronzersUnder £5: Collection Shimmer Shades in Way to Go
£4.19 from Boots
First things first - mine arrived shattered which obviously means it's very, very breakable and perhaps not the best for travelling. Beyond that though, I was really quite impressed! It has a dark shade to give yourself a bit of a shadow, as well as a peachy colour that can be mixed in with a tan for a lovely bronze glow. Fortunately, it doesn't come off as shiny on your face so it's really quite natural looking with a touch of shimmer! The only thing I wouldn't suggest is mixing all the shades together - as you can see, it gets a bit taupe!

Under £10: Sleek Face Form Palette in Fair£9.99 from Boots
This is such a great little kit with a matte, taupe-based powder, a highlighter and a blusher with a mahoosive mirror. The pigment on each of these are great, and I love that they come in a range of darkness. However, this is not a 2-in-1 contour and bronzer - it's a straight up contour, and the taupe will make you look muddy if you try to bronze yourself. But if you're more of a contour gal, this is the perfect kit for festival season. I have no complaints about the gorgeous pearly highlight, but I think there's a bit too much frost in the blusher and not enough colour. But this actually gives the product a potential for glow as well as contour!

Under £20: Liz Earle Radiant Glow Bronzer£19.50 from John Lewis
Hands down, this has been my favourite out of the three. I love using the darkest shade to give myself a bit of a contour, and using the other 3 as a blusher/bronzer around my face. The sheen mimics the natural glow of your skin and gives you an all 'round, "bronzed goddess" look (or as close as I'm going to get anyway). The staying power is fantastic, it comes with a big mirror for on the go and I can't imagine this going wrong on anyone!

The Verdict: Splurge!

My vote has to be with the Liz Earle Radiant Glow Bronzer (unless you're more interested in contouring in which case, go for Sleek). It's just so much more natural than the Collection Shimmer Shades, and I think it's foolproof. Although the Collection is by no means a bad product - if you're saving pennies, it's still a great option at 1/5 of the price.

31 July 2014

Over the next week and a half, I'll be posting the result of a trial I've been working on with VoucherCodes. Our aim was to bring to you a series of products you might take to festivals or camping, and give you a low down on whether it's worth saving or splurging on those goodies! The first instalment of this trio is every girl's best friend on a lazy morning - the dry shampoo.

Under £5: VO5 Plump It Up Dry Shampoo£3.59 from Boots
This stuff is amazing. Not only is it invisible unlike some other ones I've tried, it does the job without adding too much weight to your hair - I genuinely have no idea how it does it. My hair looks refreshed and when I run my hands through it, it doesn't get that tacky nor powdery residue. I also didn't need a lot of product, and noticed that I was using significantly less than the Batiste one that I always use. Very impressed!

Under £10: Lee Stafford Dry Shampoo Original for Oily Roots£5.99 from Boots
Although I fell in love with Lee Stafford's heat protectant, this was definitely the weakest link in this trio. The product comes off whiter than the VO5 or the Ojon, and I require a lot more product than the others. It's also definitely more detectable when you touch your hair, and is more like the Batiste XXL than anything else. Next to VO5 and Ojon, this is definitely out of the running.

Under £20: Ojon Full Detox Rub-Out Dry Cleansing Spray£19 from John Lewis
This one gave me mixed feelings. Firstly, I was SO impressed at how effective yet undetectable it was. You literally cannot feel anything on your hair at all - it genuinely feels like magic just happened. BUT, when you get up close you can see those tiny white powdery bits and getting rid of them took a bit of rubbing in and combing.

The Verdict: Save!

There is no reason to shell out for the Ojon one in this case - the VO5 is equally as good and for a fraction of the price!

22 July 2014

A Sleeping Beauty, I am not - in old t-shirts, pineapple hair and my sleep-talking tendencies, it's not a pretty sight (Ben's caught me doing weird dances in my sleep too..). I may not do it in style, but I do take my sleep seriously because there’s nothing like a good
night time routine to help your skin be as lovely and glowy as it can be. Here are some tips from BedStar, so you can make the most of your beauty sleep!

Remove that makeup.. pronto!
I've been at uni, and I've had my fair share of late night studying - sometimes it's tempting to roll straight from door to bed, but your skin will not thank you if you leave your makeup on. Left-on makeup
can block your skin’s pores and make you more prone to breakouts, so take the time to
take it off (never mind the dirty pillowcases..) - high five if you can give it a full cleanse, but there's always a micellar water option for the really bad nights. My current favourite is Eucerin's DermatoCLEAN Micellar Water.

Adjust your sleep position for perky eyes
Who knew that your sleeping position can help those pesky puffy eyes and dark circles? With a good set of pillows from Bedstar to help prop yourself up, piling them a little higher can drain the fluid away from your eyelids. This will help prevent your
eyes from becoming puffy and leave you looking fresher the next day.

Always moisturise
Whether you're dry-skinned or oily-skinned, it’s important to get into a moisturising routine before bed. Your
sleep is the time when your body makes its essential repairs, including your skin, so you can
aid its natural processes by applying a little moisturiser. My current pick is IndeedLabs Hydraluron Moisture Jelly.

Eat yourself beautiful
You really are what you eat, and a good diet will always reflect in your skin.. how many times have I woken up with Mt. Everest on my chin post-takeaway night? And as always, make sure you
drink plenty of water – around eight glasses a day – to ensure your skin is fully moisturised
and maintains its elasticity. Fruit and vegetables are also great for making your skin look
radiant. In particular, focus on citrus fruits such as oranges to keep your vitamin C levels up,
which will not only boost your immune system but also give your skin a healthy glow.

20 July 2014

You guys know hair isn't my forte - which is why I look for the simplest ways to make hair, well, presentable. My most recent venture was into stylers, and I've been trying the Tresemme Volume Styler for a few weeks.

Now I usually don't do video reviews, but I felt like this was appropriate given I wanted to show you the product in more detail and demonstrate how I use it. Hope you enjoy!

You can get the Tresemme Volume Styler from Chemist Direct for £22.99.

17 July 2014

There's quite a lot of posts about these new Illamasqua GLAMORE Nude lipsticks floating around, but these are the two lipsticks from their Coral Nude category - Cherub and Minx.

When Illamasqua launched their original GLAMORE lipsticks a few months ago, I loved them - they're so pigmented, creamy and comfortable to wear. I'm very happy to report that these new Nude versions are equally as delicious.

In terms of the shades, Cherub is a true peach - muted and mid-toned. When I first saw it, it really reminded me of REVLON's old matte lipsticks in Smoked Peach. It's super wearable because it has no hint of brightness that would make it unnatural or in-your-face. Personally, I find lipstick shades which are even remotely bright, become magnified in brightness against my medium/tan skintone. So something like this is a perfect way to wear an understated peach.

Minx has more a pink undertone, and is what I'd describe as a warm rose. Against my skintone, it pulls more like a "my lips but darker" shade and I imagine for darker skintones it'd be a great nude because it's so balanced in terms of the warm and cool tones. Again, it's very muted and so achieves that very natural look.

Personally, neither of these lip shades are what I'd usually go for (I think something like Rosepout is more up my street) but I'm quite excited to experiment with them because their natural shades are really in line with how stripped down make-up gets in the summer.

What I really like about this collection in general, is how they've kept the shades so muted, because unnatural brightness is my key concern when I'm trying to buy lip products for a natural look. From what I can see from other blogs, even the lighter shades seem to have been designed similarly and I think that's what really sets these nude lips apart from other ones. A real winner and a safe bet for truly nude lips, especially for medium to darker skintones!

16 July 2014

Yesterday I found myself sauntering around Oxford Street without any particular aim other than to eventually perch myself at a Starbucks to wait for Fei from Peonies and Lillies for a long overdue catch up. Having resisted the urge to KIKO it up last week, it soon became unbearable and ultimately mandatory to at least pop my head in to see what was going on..

Recently, I've been noticing that what used to do it for me in the summer has ultimately changed, and the biggest change I've noticed was in lip products. Firstly, I am LOVING glosses this year. And secondly, Rimmel's Moisture Renew in Nude Delight and MAC'sWarm Me Up lipstick just don't seem to do it for me anymore. I was finding my other token summer picks way too peach, and wanted a more natural but bright nude lip.

The first to go into my basket was the KIKO Supergloss in 109 Mat Pink (£4.90), which is this gorgeous medium dark bright pink. My lip colour is a similar darkness, but a duller red colour so I wanted something that would be a pop of colour without being flourescent or remotely in your face. This is literally the most gorgeous muted pink I own, and I'm so excited to wear it! As a formula, it's very pigmented but thin and smooth, and there is literally no sign of stickiness at all. It's a great pick for people who don't like the liquid-ness of traditional glosses, but want a bit more moisture on the lips than a lipstick.

The second was this pencil-style lipgloss - the KIKO Pencil Lip Gloss in 10 Dark Rose (£3.90). It was partly nostalgia that drove me to check this out, because I used to have a great product exactly like this back in high school. But ultimately, it was the shade. It's a mauve-toned dark nude that works well as a "nude but not too nude" with my tanner skin at the moment in NC30/35. The formula is more like a lipstick, but it has great pigmentation.

Overall, a successful haul! I am genuinely so excited by the addition of the Supergloss in my collection. The price vs. quality of KIKO products continue to amaze me, and these are no different. One thing I would say though.. that store needs to get rid of those crazy lights! There's a huge mirror on the left side of the door that will give you a better idea of what shades really look like.